Nida Parveen

No Excuse for Education

Nida Parveen is physically challenged girl yet every year she excels in her classmates scoring the highest marks.
The voucher sponsored girl does not consider her disability as a barrier but a fate from God to live with nor does she want anyone to feel sorry for her.
Despite her disability, Nida has remained ahead of all her class mates since she joined school and is one of the top performers.
Nida is a student of grade 4 at remote school affiliated with Punjab Education Foundation’s Education Voucher Scheme (EVS) near Lahore. Her father has died, leaving his elder son, also blind, to look after the family. She is bound to wheel chair from childhood and life was very tough for Nida by staying home whole day but the PEF enabled her to go school.
All her educational expenses are being borne by PEF including tuition fee, text books, inclusive allowance. She is taught by especially trained staff for disable students.
PEF has provided disability-accessible infrastructure in school which includes ramp for wheel chair and special washroom for physically handicapped children. She has also been provided wheel chair so that she could do her daily chores without being burden anyone.
She is a role model and inspiration for all of us. She has taught us that limitations are just an illusion in our minds and nothing in this world can stop you from fulfilling your dream.
It is heartening to know that the foundation has introduced different useful reforms for enabling the children from low-income families to study. It is hoped that it will go a long way in securing the future of special children by making them self-sufficient citizens.

Ayesha Zlavia

A saga of Success: from a student at PEF School,to an IT professional at PEF Head office

Ayesha Zalavia hails from Hasilpur a Tehsil of District Bahawalpur mainly known for producing cotton. She is the only child of a middle class family. Due to some unfortunate turn of events her family fall prey to financial crisis, endangering her access to quality education.
A ray of hope shined for her when Punjab education Foundation inked an agreement with a nearby school. This provided Ayesha an opportunity to pursue her dreams and she passed her secondary school exam from the same school with flying colors. She completed her graduation in 2015 from Islamia University Bahawalpur in the field of Information Technology.
After Graduation when she was searching for a job, PEF once again came to her help, and she was meritoriously appointed as IT officer at PEF head office. Ayesha shared beamingly “It’s been more than one year, working with Punjab Education Foundation and I feel absolutely amazing and thankful for the role of PEF in shaping my career as a successful professional”

Faiza Qayyum

PSSP Licensee

Doing My Bit for Children Education……

I am Faiza Qayyum, and I am a PhD scholar at Bhaudin Zakaria University. PEF has inked an agreement with me under its program “Public School Support” to run Government Girls Primary School, Khai Wala Multan. I belong to a family where not much heed is paid to girl’s education, despite the antagonism from my family and hardship of commute I contentedly opted to run the school.
I felt despondent, when I visited the allotted school for first time. There were very few students, & that too without any uniform or books and practically almost no furniture. Sports grounds were filled with waste smelly water. In the area there were no teachers available, after a lot of effort I convinced teachers from an academy in the neighboring village to join me. Head teacher of the academy also helped me a lot and now M. Sc, B. Sc and M. Ed teachers are teaching here at my school.
In the beginning parents opposed me because indigenous people use to send their children to madrassah and consider school education a threat to their religion and values. Local clergy also tried to dispel school education asking locals to send their children only to “madrassah” .I mobilized them to send their children to school and now a large no of parents are sending their children school.
I am happy and proud to share that the journey that I embark with only 60 students, is now a convoy of 485 verified students. In the end I am grateful to the Punjab Education Foundation for providing me an opportunity to educate our future generation.

Natasha Akbar

PSSP Licensee

Punjab Education Foundation is ushering about 2.5 Million children in a world of awareness and knowledge, through its partners across all 36 districts of Punjab. One such innovative program is Public School Support Program, under which non functional public schools are being handed over to partners/licensees like Ms. Natasha Akbar.
“I faced many ordeals in start but I kept on mobilizing the local brick kiln workers to send their children school and with the grace of God now I have more than 700 students enrolled in my school” said Ms. Natasha Akbar a Public School Support Program, licensee phase 1.
Natsha is running a Girls Primary School in a vicinity, mainly populated by brick Kilns workers/laborers. Due to the poverty and illiteracy from generations these workers are unaware of the importance of education and sans means to acquire quality education, so to break the vicious circle it is of utmost importance to educate their children.
Ms. Natasha is also providing these children school bag, uniform and pick and free commute to save their families from any extra financial burden. She started with only 40 students but now she has 700 enrolled students including majority, children of brick kiln laborers.

Ameer Hamza

PSSP Licensee

Punjab Education Foundation is striving for the promotion of education in neglected and deprived areas like south Punjab. A large no of schools are operating in the south region under the umbrella of PEF. Currently many programs are being implemented, one such innovative program is Public School Support Program, under which non functional public schools are being handed over to partners/licensees who qualify the required eligibility criteria.
Sadiq Abad is a remote area in District Rahim Yar Khan, being an area with low literacy rate and under heavy influence of customary traditions and practices, girl’s education is severely neglected issue. Dilapidated Local girls schools, with marshy grounds and no teacher or student in the area, is the true reflection of local peoples mindset.
A local resident Ameer Hamza decided to revolt against the situation by working for girl’s education. Punjab Education Foundation provided him an opportunity to fulfill his vision by providing him a local girl’s primary school as a licensee in Public Support Program Phase 1. He worked hard to furnish and repair the building and to bring girls back to school, now there is a large no of girl students are enrolled and a competent and devoted faculty in place to impart quality education. Local mindset is also changing and now they acknowledge the importance of girls education for a developed and prosperous nation.

Kudos to Farheen Shareef

Farheen Shareef student of PEF partner school (New Oxford Public School, Multan) teed off with aplomb, scoring 481/500 marks. The tauri star stood first among girls and second overall in Grade 5 annual exams 2017. Punjab Education Foundation felicitates the young star, praying her success for all future endeavors. Ameen.

Sheher Bano- 2nd Position in Matric Exam

She has secured second position in Multan Board 2016 by getting 1041/1100 marks. Her father is a petty bread-earner who sells daily food-items in his makeshift shop in Multan. She is the first girl in her family who went to school and PEF supported her studies to outshine and excel the other students. She is continuing her study and wants to serve the country after the completion of higher studies. Sheher Bano student of PEF partner school was awarded amount of Rs. 20,000/- for securing 2nd position (Humanities Group) in matric exam, 2016 held under the aegis of Multan Board.

Sidra Bano- 2nd Position in Matric Exam

Sidra Bano secured 1043/1100 marks in Gujranwala Board in 2016. She belongs to a backward and remote area of Sialkot. Her father drives a rikshaw and has three children who are all enrolled in different institutions. She is the first girl in her family who went to school. She aspires to be a doctor as there is no lady doctor in her area to cater to the women patients. The Chief Minister Punjab Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif in High Achievers Ceremony appreciated and gave prize amount of Rs. 1,00,000/- along with Laptop to her. She will tour different European countries along- with other high-achieving students on the expense of the Punjab Government.

Muhammad Shehzad- 3rd Position in Matric Exam

He has secured third position in Multan Board 2016 by getting 1080/1100 marks. He belongs to a poor family. He wants to become a doctor. As far as his aim in life to become a doctor is concerned, a plenty of reasons to justify his choice, most important for him to do something beneficiary for those people around him, to help other humans by curing various diseases and increasing their chances for living a healthier and longer life. He is continuing his study and wants to serve the country after the completion of higher studies. Muhammad Shehzad student of PEF partner school was awarded amount of Rs. 15,000/- for securing 3rd position (Science Group) in matric exam, 2016 held under the aegis of Multan Board.

Faryal Ali- A girl par excellence

She belongs to Bhakkar, a backward and remote district in Punjab. Her father, who
sells vegetables on a cart, has three children who are all enrolled in different
institutions. She is the first girl in her family who made it to school. Now, she
wants to enlighten the area with the light of knowledge. She has secured top position
in the Sargodha Board in 2013 by securing 970/1050 marks. She has made it a point
to motivate and encourage other girls to go to schools. She is a bright symbol of
success of PEF sponsored educational interventions in collaboration with international
donors. UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) has also highlighted
her as a symbol of success.

Malala-e-Cholistan Misbah Shaheen

She is studying in a remote school situated in Cholistan area in Bahawalpur. This
school was opened by Cholistan Development Authority. After the expiry of the project,
this school along with other CDA run schools was taken over by the Punjab Education
Foundation to provide free quality education to the students. However, the story
is not as simple; she is the real hero of this PEF-CDA partnership saga. When she
heard of the culmination of CDA run project and possible closure of her schools,
Misbah Shaheen one day stopped the vehicle of DCO Bahawalpur and inquired about
the future of education for girls like her who could not go afar due to paucity
of resources. Her concern for the education of local girls prompted the district
administration to look for possible options for the continuation of this project.
After the initial formalities, all the students in these 75 schools in Cholistan
are enjoying free quality education through a PEF–CDA managed partnership agreement
under which PEF is sponsoring the education in shape of monthly fee and textbooks.
After PEF-CDA partnership, the total number has reached to seven thousand and PEF
has committed to get open more partner schools in Cholistan wherever needed. BBC
and National Dailies have declared Misbah Shaheen “Malala-e-Cholistan”. She is indeed
the pride of PEF.

PEF Shinning Star

Nasreen Yousaf is a bright student who emerged as a shinning star among the batch of 40 students in “Certificate in Culinary Skills Plus” organized by College of Tourism and Hospitality Management (COTHM). She secured first position in the said course. It may be added here that five of the 40 participants were financially assisted by PEF-EVS program. Nasreen Yousaf was praised for her excellent learning abilities and dedication to rise in life.

Quality education through capacity building

Fiza Ali is a glittering example of human courage, commitment and hard work. She belongs to a family which has meager resources to survive and therefore, she had to work single-handedly to study on her own. Then, she established a school in her area and got it partnered with the Punjab Education Foundation. PEF has arranged professional training for her so that she could give better education to her students. After the training, she is much satisfied and confident as she has learnt new ideas and concepts of teaching.

Changing Despairs into Hopes

This is the story of various families, conjoined together in the vicious circle of poverty and economic deprivation. For Nargis Karamat, life was a continuous struggle in pain. Even marriage failed to bring any positive change; she ended up as a house maid in different houses to shoulder her family of two kids and a husband. Both the husband and wife were unable to send their children to school as their collective income was just Rs. 6,000/. After introduction of EVS in their area, EVS staff offered vouchers for both of her children. Stunned as she was, Nargis Karamat immediately
agreed to the offer and started sending her children to a nearby EVS partner school. Now she has set up a small stitching instiution in her area and is supporting other girls to provide them vocational training.